WESTON, Mass. - The Regis College men's volleyball team is gearing up for the start of the 2022 campaign with the home opener set for Friday, Jan. 21, against nationally ranked MIT starting at 5 p.m.
The Pride kick off conference play the following week with a match on the road against Wentworth, ranked 10th in the NVA/AVCA Division III Men's Preseason Coaches Poll, Wednesday, Jan. 26, followed by a home match against non-conference opponent Eastern Nazarene Friday, Jan. 28. The team is scheduled to play 27 matches this year, including 13 home contests at Higgins Court.
Josh Anderson continues his first year at the helm of the Regis volleyball program as the Pride welcome several players new to collegiate competition along with a few key returners. Anderson will look to guide the men's volleyball team to a similar level of success that he found with the women's team, which finished 10-3 in conference play and 23-8 overall during the fall 2021 season.
Returning players include senior captains Brendan Lam (Rockville, Md.), Matt Ferrara (Sandown, N.H.), and Shane Phillip (Brockton, Mass.). Lam is currently fifth on the Regis all-time assists list with 477 career assists after averaging 7.30 assists per set to total 270 assists in 13 matches during the abbreviated 2020 season. In 2019, Ferrara was second on the team with 171 kills and first on the squad with 30 service aces, while Phillip appeared in 16 matches for the Pride that season.
Besides the three captains, six other student-athletes enter the season with previous collegiate playing experience. They are joined by nine first- and second-year players looking to make an impact on the program as it aims to qualify for the GNAC Tournament for the first time since joining the league.
In the annual GNAC Men's Volleyball Preseason Poll, Regis finished in seventh place with 34 points, just behind sixth place Emerson at 35 points but ahead of Colby-Sawyer and Dean. Wentworth received five first place votes and 76 total points to finish atop the poll, with Rivier right behind after collecting four first place votes and 75 total points.
"We're looking forward to demonstrating to the people that doubt us that we have the power and the team to become something really great this year," stated Phillip when asked what he was most looking forward to in the upcoming season.
In addition to two matches against #10 Wentworth (Jan. 26 and Apr. 2), Regis is slated to face #2 Springfield March 22 and #13 MIT Jan. 21, as well as Endicott, among those also receiving votes in the preseason poll, Feb. 12. With the double round-robin format, the Pride will play 16 conference matches, including 11 of their final 12 contests of the regular season.
The top six teams in the final regular season standings will advance to the GNAC Tournament, starting Tuesday, April 5, with the first round hosted by the third and fourth seeds. The top two seeds will receive a bye and host semifinal matches Thursday, April 7, followed by the championship match at the highest remaining seed Saturday, April 9. The winner of the league tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Currently, attendance at Regis College indoor home athletic events is limited to Regis students, faculty, and staff in the university's testing protocol. This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis, with updates provided on GoRegisPride.com as soon as new information is available.